Water-tube boiler



Patented Nov. 13, 1923n JOHN M. SULLIVAN,

llQl.

0F CULVER, INDIANA.

WATER-TUBE BOILER.

Application filed August 26, 1920. Serial No. 406,113.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Culi ver, in the county of Marshall and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in lVaterTube Boilers, ot which the following is a speciiication. This invention relates in general to steam boilers, and more particularly to the water tube type, the invention being concerned principally with the bail'les which are employed to direct the passage of the products of combustion around the tubes for the purpose of promoting the eiliciency ot the boiler. One of the primary objects of my present invention is to provide battles for the purpose indicated, which will be fluid cooled so as to prevent them from burning out, thereby insuring a long period oi' use, and which shall be so constructed that the rempifal and replacement of the boiler tubes when necessary will not. be interfered with by tlfebaifles.

Another object oi the invention is to provide bailles whichv shall be so constructed and connected up that a continuous tlow ot iluid through the bailles will be maintained, the iiow being counter to thedirection of the passage oi" the products ot' combustion around the bailles to insure the maximum heat exchange, thereby securing a high ei'- iiciency oiI the boiler.

A further object is to so connect upthe battles that the iiuid circulating therethrough and heated therein may be utilized in prometing the etiiciency otl the apparatus.

Other objects and many oi the attendant advantages of this invention should be readily a'ppreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference, to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a longitudinal view partially in section oi a boiler equim'i-ed with my inven` tion; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a. dii'lerent. embodiment of my invention.

By reference to the drawings more in detail and particularly to Fig. 1I thereof, it will be observed that theI boiler disclosed is of the usualvwater tube type, comprising the tubes 3 mounted in and connected to the front and rear headers 4 and 5 respectively, which headers arelin turn connected with the steam drum or cylinder 6 disposed above the tubes. The tire box 7 is located as usual beneath the tubes above the grates 8, the ash pit 9 being disposed beneath the grates, and acess-4to the tire box and the ash pit being obtained through the doors 11 and 12 respectively. The products of combustion are delivered trom the boiler after their passage around the tubes through the outlet iiue 13 connected yto the chimney or stack in the usual manner.

The structure thus far described may be oi well known or preferred construction, but the batlles utilized in connection with the boiler constitute the essence ot' this invention. These bailles, preferably two in number, are designated by ret'erence character 14 and l5. and as will be apparent. from the drawings, they are located in spaced relation between the ends ot'` the boiler tubes; the rear baille l5 extending trom the steam drum G in a substantially vertical plane downwardly to a pointl somewhat above theV lower-most tubes 3, while the trent. baiile 14 is preferably inclined forwardly from its lower to its upper end tor the purpose of retarding and directing `forwardly the products ot combustion ironi the tire box, thus insuring the heating of the torward ends of the boiler tubeI be'tore these products pass downwardly at the rear oi the `t'ront baille.

i llach baille is ot' hollow construction and is provided with a series of transversely disposed thimbles lo iorming a water tight connection with the walls oi the baille, of suitable six to accommodate the water tubes l which extend therethrough and tit loosely within the thimbles. rl`his construction per mits the ready removal and replacement of the tubes when necessary i'or repairs or other purposes without interference by the battles.

lt will be observed that the rear baille in this iorm ot invention does not extend downwai-diy' to the bottom oi the. boiler tubes but terminates sonic distance upwardly trom the lowerinost tubes. The position ot' this baille and the inclined position oi the iront bai2`- iie causes the productsI ot combustion from the iire box 7 to tr-avel upn-'ardlyvaround the torward ends oi the tubes 3 and then downwardly and rearwardly between the baiiies and then upwardlyY back of the rear baffle bei'ore being discharged through the flue `13. This tortuous passage of the hot sproducts of combustion resultsin a thorough heating of the water tubes and )roduces a very efficient boiler. The ba es, which are of course, subjected to the hot gases and other products of combustion become highly heated, and in order to preserve their life and also to utilize the heat absorbed by the baffles, I have provided them with fluid connections which maintain a continuous circulation of fluid through the baiiles, as will now be described.

i `.The upper end of the rear baille 15 is connected with the top of the drum 6 so as to conduct steam therefrom which is superheated in the batlles as will now be explained. The steam entering the upper end of the rear baille 16, flows downwardly to the lower end and thencethrough one or, more conneeting .pipes 18 to the lower end of the front baille 14. It then travels upwardly in the front baille to the upper end thereof, from which it is conducted by a delivery pipe 19 to the point where this superheated steam is to be used. It will be apparent that the steam in the bailles is coolest where it enters the uppervend of the rear baille and is hotest where it leaves the upper end ofthe front baille. The direction of flow of the steam through thebailles being counter to the direction of passage of the products of combustion around the bailles, results in thev most efficient heat exchange with the result that the maximum number of heat units are absorbed from the products of combustion during their passage around the boiler tubes and around the batlles. The steam thus superheated in its passage through the bailles prevents them from' becoming overheated and warped or distorted, and insures longevity of the construction.

In plants where superheated steam is not desired my invention may be utilized to heat the feed water to the boiler either by caus- 4 ing the incoming water to pass through the baiHes en route to the boiler or by maintaining a circulation of water through the bailles and a tubularL feed water heater wherein the heat units absorbed in the bailles are given oil' in the heater.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be observed` that in this embodiment of my invention, the supply pipe 21 leading to the upper end of the rear baille 22 is connected with the .outlet end of a tubular feed water heater 23 of well known construction and the delivery pipe 24 from the front baille 25 discharges at 26 into the intake end of the feed water heater. In the heater the water flows downwardly around the tubes 30, extending between the headers which are disposed near each end of the heater in the usual manner.

'The bailles 22 and 25 are connected at their lower ends by one or more pipes 27 so that a closed circuit through the baffles and the feed water heater is established and in this 'delivered by the pipe 24 so that the heat taken up by the water in the bailles is de livered to the incoming freshwater in the feed Water heater, this -heated fresh water being delivered through pipe 29 to the drum of the boiler. In this construction, -there- 'i ore, the same water is continuously circulated and re-circulated through the feed water heater and bullies, and ifthis water is originally comparatively pure, the amount of depolslit and sludge left in the bailles is negli- '1 e. g In this observed from Fig. 2 are slightly different in form and arrangement from those described in connection with those described in Fig.

.The rear baille extends entirely to the bottom of the tubes 3 'and the front baille, in stead of being inclined forwardly, is disposed in a vertical plane parallel with the rear baille.l provided with thimbles for the reception of the boiler tubes similar to those previously described and removal and replacement of the tubes may be effected without interfen ence by the battles.

It will be apparent from the foregoing thatl have provided a baille structure in a wateitube 'boiler which not only deflects and directs the passage of. the products of combustion so as to produce the most'efiicient heating, but furthermore, the heat deliveredv to .the ballles/themselves may be utilized eitherinsiipferheating steam or in heating water which is used to promote the eiliciency of the boiler. In addition to this, i

the battles themselves are protected and prevented frombecoming. burnt out or danger-v spirit of the invention as defined in the fol` lowing claims.

I claim:

l. In a Water tube boiler, the combination instance also, the bailles as willibe Both baills in this instance are lio j tubes, a forward hollow baffle extending upthrough said connecting wardly adjacent to said lfire box, a

-rear hollow baille extending downwardly from said drum to said forward baffle, posed in said bales said, water tubes extend, the lower endls of saidd h d i e for supp yin Hui to t e upper en Idfpsaid rear baiilegso lthat said fluid. travels downwardly in said rear balle, thence means to the lower` end of said forward baille and thence upwardly in said forward baiile, anda pipe for'delivering said Huid from said upper end of said forward baille.

2. vIn a water tube boiler, the combination of a steam drum, a plurality of water tubes, a fire box beneath the forward ends of said tubes, a :forward hollow baiiie extending upwardly toward said drum, a rear hollow batHe extending downwardly from said drum, each of said baliies being provided with thimblesv through which said in spaced relation thirnbles disthrough which means connecting baiies together, a 5

l l tubes extend. aconnection between the,

lowerA ends of said\bailies, a pipe connecting the upper end of the 'rear bale with the top of said drum through which steam from said drum enters said end of the forward baflle steam, which has baffles, therefrom.

3. In a water tube boiler, the combinatii of'a steamv drurn, a plurality ofrvertically disposed bailes arranged in spaced relation and positioned to provide circulating spaces above and beneath alternate baffles, each baile being provided with water tube thimbles, a pipe connecting the lower ends of said baflies, a lire box disposed forwardly of the front baille, a connection between the top of said drum and one of the rear balles through which steam from the drum is delivered to the baffles, and a pipe afor delivering-fron1 the upper` end of the front hafHe the steam which has been superheated in said baffles.

J. M. SULLIVAN.

for delivering the c baille, and a pipe connected with the upper been superheated in said 

